Genetic clues may lead to better grasp of birth defectsHealth Canal Share A team of researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of Southern California has for the first time determined the role of two important molecular signaling pathways that help control the number and position of repeated units of cells that pattern the head and face.More

Genomic data in patients' handsGenetic Engineering & Biotechnology News Share Strides in biotechnology and genomics have enabled individuals to gain access to increasingly more accurate and detailed information about their genomes at decreasing costs. While learning about individual genetic risks and susceptibilities has become more affordable, interpreting the data and establishing the optimal management strategies are opening challenges for both consumers and professionals, and many of these promise to become more pronounced as we approach the $100 genome landmark.More

High-content drug screening key for treatment of rare diseasesLaboratory Equipment Share Personalized medicine — tailoring diagnostics and treatment according to individual genetics — is a rapidly growing field. Using advanced screening technologies, the dream of offering customized care to each patient is slowly becoming a reality, offering hope to sufferers of rare diseases, who are often left without medical support. But because each disease impacts only a handful of people worldwide, there is no commercial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to fund drug research and development.More

Discover the Concentra Difference. Concentra offers medical practice expertise, operational and peer support, and long-term stability to enable your professional and financial success. Our providers work consistent schedules that encourage healthy work-life balance, and experience the satisfaction of working in an environment designed to reduce administrative burden while allowing more time for patient care.

Long-term effects of molecularly targeted therapies in child cancer patientsThe Medical News Share A University of Colorado Cancer Center review published in the journal Lancet Oncology describes possible long-term side-effects of new, targeted therapies in pediatric cancer patients: what we don't know may hurt us. Already we know that molecularly targeted therapies may stunt the growth of pediatric patients, delay puberty or speed the onset of diabetes. And researchers are just now starting to ask about additional, sometimes unforeseen side-effects, potentially including more subtle issues such as neurocognitive, balance and motor defects.More

Regenerative Medicine

Brain cells created from human skin cells offer potential MS treatmentGizmag Share Myelin is a fatty tissue that covers the fibers between nerve cells — it's not unlike the insulation on electrical wiring. When that tissue is compromised, the cells have difficulty communicating, and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis can be the result. If the myelin of MS sufferers could be regrown, then it's possible that the disease could be cured. Recently, a team of scientists successfully regenerated myelin in mice, using human skin cells that were reprogrammed into brain cells.More

FDA warns of major risk with St. Jude heart deviceThe Associated Press via Bloomberg Businessweek Share The Food and Drug Administration said that a tool recalled by St. Jude Medical used to insert heart implants could potentially cause serious injury or death if used in patients. The company's Amplatzer TorqVue delivery system is used to mend a type of heart defect that causes holes in the upper chambers of the heart. St. Jude recalled all batches and models of the device recently after a small number of incidents where the delivery system's wire fractured during surgery.More

Federal officials release new EHR format for pediatric careiHealthBeat Share The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and CMS recently released a new electronic health record format for pediatric care. The new format aims to help EHR vendors develop modules that are tailored to children's health needs. Officials said the new format was warranted because current EHR systems are not appropriately set up to capture or process children's health data, resulting in lower EHR adoption rates among pediatric physicians.More

Managed Healthcare News

$2 billion Medicaid program helps mostly illegal immigrantsKaiser Health News Share During the debate over the 2010 federal healthcare overhaul, Democrats promised that illegal immigrants wouldn't be among the 27 million people who'd gain coverage. President Barack Obama repeated that pledge last month when he outlined his immigration plan. But while federal law generally bars illegal immigrants from being covered by Medicaid, a little-known part of the state-federal health insurance program for the poor has long paid about $2 billion a year for emergency treatment for a group of patients who, according to hospitals, mostly comprise illegal immigrants.More

Many hospitals unprepared for cost questionsThe Associated Press via USA Today Share Want to know how much a hip replacement will cost? Many hospitals won't be able to tell you, at least not right away — if at all. And if you shop around and find centers that can quote a price, the amounts could vary astronomically, a study found.More

FDA: New Treatments and Technology

Report: FDA not getting key info on risky drugsThe Associated Press via St. Louis Post-Dispatch Share The Food and Drug Administration is not receiving key information from drugmakers about whether some of the riskiest prescription drugs on the market are being used safely by doctors and patients, according a new report by government inspectors.More

New FDA 'breakthrough' status speeds OKSan Francisco Chronicle Share Drugmakers may win approval from U.S. regulators for "breakthrough" therapies after a single round of studies, rather than three, in an effort to speed them to patients, a Food and Drug Administration official said. The agency assigned three promising experimental medicines the new status to try to reduce the time needed to get them to market against life-threatening diseases, the director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said.More

FAST FACTS"Nearsightedness is very common and affects nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Optometric Association."

This edition of the Genomics Biotech and Emerging Medical Technologies Institute eBrief was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here — it's free!